General William Kernan, Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic (SACLANT), has been released of his functions on the request of the President of the United States, George Bush. As an interim measure, the Deputy SACLANT (DSACLANT), Admiral Ian Forbes, UK Navy, will assume responsibilities until further notice.

General Kernan had held the position of commander of the Allied Command Atlantic (ACLANT), Norfolk, Virginia, USA, since September 2000. ACLANT is one of NATO's two strategic commands, the other being the Supreme Allied Command Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium. General Kernan's departure is due to the current reorganisation of the US military command structure.

NATO's Defence Planning Committee (DPC) agreed to this request from the United States on 2 July. The DPC, which takes decisions on defence matters and deals with issues related to collective defence planning, has also agreed that Admiral Forbes take on the responsibility for day-to-day operations on an interim basis. Admiral Forbes has been DSACLANT since 2001.

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from www.nato.int
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